About Me

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

On Thursday, Casa Shalom received a very special visit from a very special group of ministers from a Puerto Rican break dance troupe, YWAM Belmopan (Belize), and WYAM Guatemala. These groups minister all over Central America using drama, song and dance to reach people that usually wouldn't enter a church. This week, they ministered to Casa Shalom's kids through culturally-relevant dramas about sin, Jesus' sacrifice, and how His death allowed for the forgiveness of our wrongs. The bilingual team did a great job of capturing the kids' attention, and had a powerful time of prayer with them! Enjoy a few videos of the Puerto Rican dance team that ministered to the kids using their amazing dance abilities.

On Saturday, we went to a natural spring called Las Islas (The Islands). At the park, the kids swam and searched for seashells and crabs. Here, the kids get their first glimpse of the springs

Edwin at the springs

Taking a rest from hours of swimming

Edgar, Benjamin and Elias enjoy some banana-leaf tamales for lunch

Alejandro, Clemente and Cesar

Jose Alfredo and Brayan enjoy lunch

After a day at the pool, the kids were tired out! Eliza fell asleep with baby Jennifer Denise.

The accommodations in Cobán were not exactly 5-star, but no one complained. The temperature got as low as 45 degrees, and with a building that isn't entirely closed and no central heat, that gets chilly!

Everyone bundled up under sleeping bags and blankets

Lunch on Sunday

On Sunday morning, ladies from a local church cooked the kids tamales in an outdoor kitchen, over a wood fire.

On Sunday afternoon, a local church bought everyone Pollo Campero for lunch.

Video 1: Alejandro leads a sing-along with the Casa Shalom kids in church on Sunday. Video 2: Cesár speaks in church on Saturday night and was asked to say something in Kachikel, his native language. The Kachikels are the native indigenous population in Cobán.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Maria, Flora, Ada, Jessica and Karen outside the compound. The building in the background in the bathroom facility. No hot water, but the kids didn't mind at all. We were just grateful for running water!

Some of the kids explore a creek near the compound.

he first night of the trip, we attended a church in the small town of Purulhá, which is located 30 minutes outside of Cobán. The church was very small and it's members were primarily indigenous and obviously poor. We appreciated very much the meal they sacrificed to serve us before the church service.

The group at the church in Purulhá. The church's floor was dirt and the building didn't have walls on 3 sides.

The kids enjoy a typical Guatemalan meal of tortillas, beans, eggs and coffee at the church in Purulhá.

There was no shortage of tortillas! These tortillas were made of pure corn - which means that no flour was used and that even more work went into making them (dry corn, grind the corn into a paste by hand, hand-make the tortillas on an open-flame grill)

Jessica with a few girls from the church in Purulhá

On Friday morning, our first morning in Cobán, a local church brought us breakfast in the back of a pick-up truck.

Benjamin, Brayan, Julio and Wilson enjoy their breakfast of tortillas, eggs, and beans. This combination is very typical in Guatemala and is usually eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner

The ladies of a local church serve breakfast to the Casa shalom kids.
Video: Hector gives his testimony at the church of Purulhá. He speaks of how after his parents were murdered in front of him and his siblings (Eliza and Julio), they were sent to life at Casa Shalom. He says, "Thanks to Casa Shalom, we have been able to continue studying...thanks to Casa Shalom we have a better life."